World Cancer Day 2014 - demystify the cancer myth

7:30 AM, 4th February 2014

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: World Cancer Day 2014, celebrated on 4 February 2014, will focus on last year’s campaign, World Cancer Declaration: Reduce stigma and dispel myths about cancer, under the tagline “Debunk the myths.” World Cancer Day is a chance to raise our collective voices in the name of improving general knowledge around cancer and dismissing misconceptions about the disease.

Cancer Myth

From a global level, the day will focus on the four myths –

1. We don’t need to talk about cancer

2. Cancer... there are no signs or symptoms

3. There is nothing I can do about cancer

4. I don’t have the right to cancer care

In a report by IANS, according to health experts, many myths are associated with cancer, but adapting a healthy lifestyle can help people keep it at bay. India has more than three million cancer patients, and these figures paint a pale picture of our understanding of the disease. One of the biggest myths about cancer is that cancer is incurable, said Rajeev Kumar, Senior Consultant Oncologist, Rockland Hospital, Qutab Institutional Area. Rather, cancer is the most curable of all chronic diseases. One can never cure diabetes or hypertension, but cancer, if detected early and treated well, can be cured, added Kumar.

World Cancer Report 2014

The World Cancer Report 2014 confirms that inequality exists in cancer control and care globally. The number of deaths due to the disease amongst the world’s poor is growing at a faster rate than previously expected. Specifically, by 2025 almost 80 per cent of the increase in the number of all cancer deaths will occur in less developed regions.

Unlike the developed countries, a large proportion of cancers in developing nations are caused by infections, such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), which accounts for more than 85 per cent of all HPV-related cancer cases. As these countries increasingly adopt a more western lifestyle we are witnessing increasing levels of smoking, alcohol use and a lack of physical activity – all known risk factors for cancer.

Low- and middle-income countries are most at risk of cancer overwhelming their health systems and hindering economic growth, as they have the least resources and infrastructure to cope with the predicted levels of disease escalation. Worryingly, according to the World Health Organisation, only 50 per cent of low- and middle-income countries have operational National Cancer Control Plans.